Camp Bestival Help

[CouldIHaveThatInEnglishPlease]

next weekend we are going to camp Bestival as 2 adults and 3 children (one of which is a teenager). We have never been before and the panic is starting to kick in so I was hoping the wonderful hive mind can tell me everything I need to know like what to take for a start, what to do about breakfast etc, toilets, showers etc

for context I have been camping and have a tent etc but only ever been ehu so I can’t even take the airbed we have as it’s a plug in one. So apart from a tent, I’m completely starting from scratch.

help!!

I’d get a blow up airbed for starters! And a battery powered pump. There will be loads of places to buy food but take plenty of snacks.
I wouldn’t expect to shower too much really unless you’ve paid for posh facilities - take a flannel and a bar of soap, and have a wash in your tent. Some people swear by baby wipes but some festivals ask you don’t take them for environmental reasons.
Take your own loo roll.
Be prepared to have to lug your gear from the car - everyone will have to carry or get a trolley.
Check the FAQs about taking your own booze - usually no glass bottles are allowed.
Take glitter, sparkly cowboy hats, feather boas or whatever else grabs your fancy! Take a roll of bin bags, waterproof ponchos and wellies.
Have fun!!

It will be more walking than you expect. You can hire a trolley to take you things to your pitch when you get there which can help. It's hilly - well to me it is 😂

Little camping stove, gas bottles, bottles of water (you can refill these), kettle, and then pot noodles... 😂 Food will be expensive, funfair rides will be expensive, alcohol will be... Well you know. Try and relax and really enjoy it though, we do despite having four children with us and me hating spending money 😂😂

was at camp bestival last year - it was fab!
there were showers in the campsite and queues weren't too bad, if you didn't go at peak times
toilets usually had toilet roll in them, but wee packets of tissues are easier to carry around in case they don't
get a cool box if you can for in your tent, for cold drinks
we also took a couple of easy meals so we didn't have to buy all meals from vendors- just things like noodle pots and burgers
take lots of snacks as well
croissants/brioches etc also make for easy breakfast

Depends on your budget! You can buy food for every meal or take food with you!

There's showers (quieter in afternoon and evening, 3am worked for me

Take booze but not in glass

I used to take lots of haribo mini packets, cereal bars, crisps, cans of pop, Capri suns etc to keep the cost down along pimms, lemonade and an empty red fizzy drink bottle

Mine went from primary school to older teens and loved it.

And top tip, I haven't been for a few years as mine grew up but the best priced food was the WI stand, they had bacon rolls and amazing cake. There was also a farmers market area

If you plan to take a stove make sure you know what types are allowed. We're going to another festival this week and they have advised just two days beforehand that the flat stoves with aerosol-style canisters are not allowed. As this is the most popular and generally regarded as safest type of stove there is uproar on their Facebook page.

Brilliant tips thank you! I wouldn’t have thought about taking loo roll etc.
I don’t drink alcohol so no worries about that, and I don’t mind paying a bit for food as I expect that as ds(14) has asd and ocd which mainly manifests itself around food and germaphobia so the usual battle is as long as he’s eating it’s all ok, whatever the cost (it can’t be any more painful then looking at his school canteen balance each week!)

Baby wipes are saviours!

I always bring a insulated coffee mug much easier than flimsy paper cups.

Bedding is a must it gets cold at night, good sleeping bags and a sleep Matt or blow up bed .

Cheap fleece blankets keep you very warm.

Chairs you always need chairs

You need a small stove for your morning brew and a bacon butty
Take pot noddles and Porrage pots

Definitely need Wellies and welly socks

Freeze a wine box bag. Use that as your ice pack and obviously you have chilled wine

You need ponchos, a roll of bin bags (use them as seats in the arenas),

Folding water pouches to smuggle voddy in while you buy a coke off the ice cream man

They weather forecast is pretty poor.

Yes I have seen that. Hopefully it will change in the next week - either beautiful sunshine or such torrential rain they will have to cancel and refund us.
unfortunately I could predict the weather when I ordered the tickets last year and they have cost so much I don’t want to not go. Wellies and raincoats it will be

*couldn’t

Take blankets as it has been very very cold at night each time I've been. We now take bed socks and a thermal type beanie for bedtime!
Also something to identify your tent! I had only camped in a normal campsite prior to festivals and had no idea how crammed a festival site would be.
It will be great regardless of the weather, have fun!

How did you get on in the end? We went with our not quite 2 and 5 year old and had a blast! The rain and wind on Sunday night wasn't the best tho ☔😂

Dreadful 😂
Stuck in traffic for hours, finally got onto the campsite at 7pm (had been in the car since 10am!), was tired and hungry and just wanted to get the tent up before it got dark - only to discover the tent pole was still in the loft 150miles away. Had a spare tent for the dc so all camped in that Thursday night but had barely any sleep as it was so noisy all night with people up chatting all around us then little kids awake at dawn.
Checked out the cost of a hotel but it was ridiculous (almost £700 for 3 nights) so gave up, packed up the car, had a blast on Friday and then drove home.
Judging by the Facebook group though, I'm glad I wasn't there on Sunday with the wind and rain (and broken tents and stuck in the mud cars)

Maybe next year though - it hasn't turned me off. But only if we either hire a tent already there (lugging everything back up that hill almost killed me! In fact it pretty much did and I hired the taxi), or off site in a hotel.
I'm glad you had a great time though

Hello,
I know this is an old thread, but your kids are a very similar age to mine and I am thinking of going this year. I am a single Mam though so I might have to take Granny with me 🫣 (young and spiritedly!).
I just wondered how you found the whole experience, and how was the weather, what would you do differently, or recommend. In hindsight which camping option would be best?
I am happy roughing it and I am very practical, I am more curious as to how the kids found it? My son would be 2yrs and 3 months and my daughter will be 5.5yrs.
any small tips would be gratefully received. I want to do something memorable with the kids for my 40th! 😁

@Alwaysagray did you go? How was it?

@Alwaysagray I'm heading there this summer with a 3 year old and 6 year old. We are first timers! Did you go last year? Any hot tips to share?